2013: The #LuckyYear

At the beginning of 2012 I declared it to be the Year of the Rockstar. I told you all to be bold, put a swagger in your step, and make it the year where you make big things happen…..Rockstar Style.

Well, it’s one year later and before going out there to ring in another new year tonight, I want to hear all about the #Rockstar things you’ve been up to in 2012.

This isn’t the time to be humble and hold things back….give me all the goods. Brag about yourself, celebrate your accomplishments, and tell us all how you lived life to the fullest…..both on and off the bike this year.

I tend to be quite reserved, but to help bring out your proud and boastful attitude, let me go over some of the Rockstar things that went on for me in 2012:

Kickoff in Hawaii – My Family and I were lucky enough to watch New Years 2012 Fireworks in Hawaii with my Parents and Sister’s Family. There’s just something about Hawaii that has Rockstar written all over it.

Met other Rockstars – I was lucky enough to meet several super cool cyclists in 2012, but meeting up with Artcrank (Charles) and Dex Tooke were major highlights. Both of these guys are seriously rocking the cycling scene….just in totally different ways.

Destination Riding – Riding a bike is Austin is pretty darn amazing, but getting the chance to ride in other parts of the world is downright Rockstar. In 2012 my bike and I rode the streets of Saskatoon (SK), Las Vegas (NV), Bonaire (Dutch West Indies), Chandler (AZ), and Grenada (West Indies).

Interbike in Las Vegas– If you’re into cycling, Interbike has got to be the biggest Rockstar event of the year. Up until now I’d never taken part in this massive bike event, but I was there this September and had the most excellent time. It really is one of the coolest cycling events you’ll ever experience.

Big Numbers and Increasing Traffic – Loving the Bike and Cycling 360 had impressive numbers in 2012, and traffic continued to increase all year through. Being a blogger (and podcast co-host), there is nothing more gratifying then having people dig what you’re doing. A huge thank you goes out to all our loyal followers…..you make me feel like a total Rockstar.

Bike Expert on bing.com – One of the biggest highlights of 2012 has got to be when bing.com hired me as their riding expert for their summer promotion. It still blows my mind that they would choose me for something like this, and when I saw what kind of people they were bringing in as experts for other weeks….I was feeling very unworthy. If there was one thing that happened in 2012 that made my Year of the Rockstar prediction come true….this was definitely it.

Moved to Grenada– Moving my Family from Canada to Austin, Texas was one of the best things I’ve ever done….but we knew it was only going to be a stepping stone to something equally adventurous. In true Rockstar style, our Family packed up our life (and bikes) and in November we moved to the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada.

The true Rockstar part of this move is still to come. It’s my mission to make this place a more bike friendly island, and to enable more people to get around by bike. I’m working on it.

Yeah, I’d say it was a pretty Rockstar’ish year….so what about 2013? Well I’m going bold again and calling it #LuckyYear. The 13th has always been a lucky number for our Family so that’s part of it, but I also just have this feeling that the year’s going to bring some prosperous and advantageous things.

There’s no time like the present to get out there and live each and every day to the fullest. I hope you don’t simply do what matters…..but focus your attention this year on what matters MOST. Continue to live life to the fullest both on and off the bike, and as always….Enjoy Your Ride.

My goal for 2012 was 2012 miles to include 50 one was commuting trips, ended up with 78 or 80 one way commuting trips and a total of 3000 miles! Not sure what my 2013 goal is (at least 2013 miles and 82 one way commuting trips)? Getting stronger one pedal stroke at a time. Thanks for all your inspiration and motivation!

My goal for 2012 was to ride 2,400Km. I ended up doing 3,125Km. Setting new goal of 3,000Km for 2013. Plus, hoping to get a new bike for my 50th birthday this year!

I am a lifelong “business class” bicycle commuter; since grade school days, I’ve almost always ridden my bike for transportation (very unusual for US resident). I’ve displaced about 250,000Km car miles in my life so far, not emitted about 20 tons of CO2, and I’m still pedaling strong.

At this point, I consider my lifelong commitment to riding a bicycle one of the most important accomplishments in my life. I love riding a bike, and hope more people join me in 2013!

I love hearing stuff like this. Thanks for sharing your goals and highlights with us. I really like the sound of a “Lifelong Commitment to Riding a Bicycle”. Sounds like the topic for a new blog post to me.

I hope you’re right. My highlights for 2012 include over 5000 miles of road riding, and spending a week riding my bike in France. I sort of felt like a rockstar when I was riding my bike on some of the roads that the tour de france riders have been on.

I became a road cyclist in 2012 so maybe I already had my lucky year. I would like to thank loving the bike for all your help and support this past year. You have provided very many helpful posts with cycling advice and nutrition. I come here every day. Happy 2013 to you all.

At the start of 2012, I set myself a goal. To ride a bike everyday. Through wind, rain, storms, hail, shine, heat, illness and having my bike stolen, I still managed to acheive my goal of riding all 366 days of the year. I have no plans of stopping and will continue to count the days on the bike.
For those wondering, I rode close to 6,000km and climbed over 20,000 meters. My longest ride was 160km (100 miles). For all those who cheered my on (via twitter, @Lycra_Loony), Thank you for your support.
Happy 2013 and Ride safe.

My question is other than juice, can you suggest modifications in lieu of table sugar for energy and hydration.

Answer:

Both raw/organic honey or agave can work great in the homebrew (substitute in the same quantities for the sugar, or to taste), but you do have to shake well in order to make sure they don’t settle out. Have you tried either of these? Also, make sure to use at least the minimum amount of salt recommended in the homebrew as the temps rise, you need the sodium replacement if you’re sweating.